Judas
by HardBoiled
Summary: Samantha Reston is the only mutant Sentinel Services agent and has been assigned to help Jace Turner find and take down the Mutant Underground.
1. Chapter 1

**Sentinel Services Headquarters-Atlanta Field Division**

Supervisory Special Agent Jace Turner wasn't known for his patience nor his tolerance of bureaucratic red tape. All too often things like procedure and regulations were a hindrance to law enforcement that criminals used to get away with their actions. Turner learned this working as a police officer in Dallas and now learned how big of a problem they were working for Sentinel Services. Jace understood the importance of law and order yet was baffled how bleeding hearts from both sides of the political spectrum couldn't understand the kind of danger they were up against. He found out about the threat they faced the hard way.

On July 15, 2013, Jace Turner was enjoying a picnic with his wife Paula and his daughter Grace. It was the first time in months he had a day off and spend a whole day with his family. Grace was having fun on a merry-go-round when violent bursts of energy lite up across the park. A mutant rights protest had turned violent and once the dust had settled, thousands of people were dead including Grace. The mutants claimed it was only the actions of a few but Jace couldn't care less. That day proved to him just how dangerous mutants were and that humanity needed to see them the same way.

He quit the police force and joined the newly created Sentinel Services, a government agency that dealt specifically in crimes related to mutants. The US government also began taking more steps in combating these criminals by passing the Enhanced Patriot Act which gave Sentinel Services large autonomy in handling mutants. It was a step in the right direction and yet despite all these measures, things only seemed to get worse. The mutants started forming terrorist cells, smuggling criminals out of state and attacking anti-mutant targets.

Jace moved with his wife to Atlanta to start over and get on the front lines of this war. He helped take down multiple mutants, some worse than others. Some mutants generally made him feel empathy towards their situation but most were like the Mutant Underground. This band of terrorists considered themselves something akin to the Underground Railroad, revolutionaries fighting for freedom. The truth was they were criminals who thought the laws of humans didn't apply to them and that their powers put them above everyone else.

Jace learned firsthand how ruthless they could be. After the Underground attacked a prison convoy and freed Lorna Dane and Reed Strucker, they later kidnapped Jace. One of the mutants was a mind reader and messed with his brain before he could be rescued by Sentinel Services. He didn't know if they learned anything but he didn't know they did something else until he got home later that night. Jace wanted to say goodnight to Grace only to find out that his little girl was dead. The mutant bitch who messed with his mind took away the memories of his daughter's final days and Jace was forced to relieve the pain of losing his baby again. Whatever motivation he had for seeing these bastards taken down escalated tenfold. Jace returned to work with a renewed purpose and wasn't going to tolerate any excuses to putting those freaks into either a cage or a coffin.

His reappearance stunned most of his co-workers. He was supposed to be on mandatory leave after all. Jace brushed them off, telling him he was fine. As a Supervisory Special Agent, he outranked the majority of the staff. There was only one person he needed to tread carefully with and Jace had no doubt he would get called up to the top floor came soon enough.

The summons came while Jace was working in his office when Special Agent Edward Weeks knocked at the open doorway. The man had worked with Jace for several years and the two had struck up a friendship during that time. The Turners didn't really know anybody in Atlanta so it was nice when Ed invited them to a Thanksgiving dinner with his family. After that, Jace and his wife had attended several other family dinners becoming almost an extended family of sorts.

"Jace, Davidson wants to you," Ed told him.

Division Chief Michael Davidson was the senior agent for the Sentinel Services Atlanta Field Division. He ran operations that extended throughout entire state of Georgia and was Jace Turner's immediate superior. He had been a career FBI agent who switched over after the July 15th incident. A lot of law enforcement did so just like a lot of Americans signed up for military service after September 11, 2001. The Chief probably had his own personal reasons to join the fight against mutant criminals but he's never spoken about it.

Jace contemplated what to say since Davidson wasn't calling him to his office for coffee. He'll want Jace back at home and may even resort to a suspension to do it. Hopefully the recent breakout by the mutants and Turner's own kidnapping will convince his superior that the Mutant Underground was turning this into a war and all hands were needed on deck.

The secretary outside the Chief's office told Jace to walk right in so imagine the agent's surprise to find Davidson was already meeting someone else. Sitting opposite of the Chief's desk was a young blonde-haired woman dressed in a dark suit and a white blouse. The way she dressed indicated she was either an agent of a federal agency or possibly a lawyer from the district attorneys, Justice Department, or a law firm.

"Jace come on in. Have a seat," Davidson said. Turner did as he was told, wordlessly taking a seat next the woman. Seated next to her allow him to finally see the handgun holster she had just partial revealed underneath her suit. Definitely law enforcement then but Jace wasn't certain whether she was local or from out of state.

"This is Special Agent Samantha Reston. She just transferred in from the Chicago Field Division. Agent Reston this is Supervisory Special Agent Jace Turner. He heads Field Operations within the county," Davidson introduced the two. The two agents shook hands, exchanging courtesies. Now with that out of the way, they could finally get down to business.

"I recall giving you mandatory leave Jace. Care to explain what you're doing here?" Davidson asked.

"With all due respect sir, this is where I need to be. Not sitting at home on a couch doing nothing," answered Jace.

"If this were any other situation, you wouldn't have been able to get past the lobby but this recent breakout by the Underground has a lot of people above both our paygrades nervous. They want these criminals caught yesterday and they made damn sure that I am to utilize every resource I have at my disposal. So you can stay but if I get so much as a thought that you're unhinged, you'll be sitting on your couch for a lot longer than a few days of leave. The last thing I need is a Dirty Harry going off half-cocked in my department. Do I make myself clear?" Davidson spoke.

"Crystal," replied Jace.

"Good. None of our leads had panned out and so far our wiretaps and monitors haven't come up with anything useful. The rats are scurrying back into the sewers," Davidson explained. "But make no mistake. Breaking criminals out of custody and kidnapping one of my own agents is the last straw for me. I want every one of their faces plastered on every block. I want every one of their families and suspected associates questioned and monitored. If that doesn't pan out, do whatever you need to do. I don't give a damn what it is, just give me some results."

Jace nodded, realizing the situation must be more dire for his superior then he thought. Davidson was essentially letting him off the leash knowing that there could be political blowback. The Chief had always dealt with politics such as the likes of bleeding heart liberals like the ACLU but he's mostly tried to avoid a confrontation with such annoyances. Davidson must be putting a lot of trust in Jace to get results and the agent wasn't planning on letting him down.

"Which leads me to Agent Reston," Davidson added. "She was instrumental in taking down the Chicago cell of the Mutant Underground. Her knowledge and expertise will be invaluable to you and your team as well as her other talents."

"Talents?" frowned Jace.

"I'm a mutant," Reston spoke bluntly. There was no shame or discomfort from her confession.

Jace couldn't hide his shock, certain he heard wrong.

"Personally I hate the term Person of Genetic Difference. Too PC for my liking," Reston chuckled.

Jace stared at her then glanced back at Davidson. "Sir are you serious?"

"Quite serious. Agent Reston has been honest to the agency about what she could do from the start. That's why she was recruited in the first place. She worked undercover within the Mutant Underground for two years, her information leading to the arrests of a nearly a hundred people both part of and contributing aid to the Underground," Davidson spoke.

"With all due respect sir, I'm sure she's very good at her job but I don't think this office is the right fit for her. Things are already tense within my team as is and adding a mutant to it will only make it worse," Jace tried diplomatically to explain. What he was really afraid of was if Miss Reston found out about the Hounds program. It took a lot of work to convince Davidson to approve it and even when he did, it would only be limited to captured members of the Underground. How would Miss Reston feel that her own kind were going drugged up and indoctrinated against their will?

"They'll get over it," Davidson remarked in a tone that meant this wasn't up for debate.

"There are also other…projects that are of a sensitive nature sir," Jace tried to refer to the Hounds program without right saying it.

"You mean the Hounds Program? Where you turn terrorists into assets for use in the field?" asked Reston. To Turner's confusion, she didn't seem disgusted or angry at the slightest mention of it.

"You…know about it? And you're…just fine with it?" asked a stunned Jace.

"Do you care that Khalid Shiekh Mohammed, the man behind the 9/11 attacks has been water boarded more than a hundred times and is rotting in Guantanamo Bay without ever having a trial?" replied Reston.

"Not really," admitted Jace.

"Neither do I. As far as I'm concerned, the only difference between them and Al-Qaeda is that the Underground has powers," Reston shrugged.

"There you have it Jace. You don't need to tread eggshells around this one," smiled Davidson.

"And what exactly can you…do?" asked Jace. This whole situation just seemed unreal to him. When has a mutant ever helped Sentinel Services without threats of prosecution?

"Two things, both of which will come in handy," answered Reston. "First I can sense when mutants are near me. It's not like radar so I can't tell who the mutant is. I just get a feeling in my gut that goes off whenever I'm within a few hundred yards of one. Second is probably the most useful power. If I'm close enough to sense them, I can do what they do."

"You…mimic their powers?" frowned Jace.

"Precisely," nodded Reston.

"And if you had several mutants close to you?" asked a curious Jace.

"Then I have several powers at once," smirked Reston.

"Like I said before, Agent Reston will be invaluable to you. Give her a chance in the field and I promise those rodents won't know what hit them," Davidson told Turner.

Jace still wasn't comfortable with this but the thought of a mutant who could hit back those terrorists with their own powers was too good of an opportunity for him to turn away. The mutant with the ability to disable electronics and mutant abilities proved that these criminals weren't defenseless even without their powers. It was time to hit them with overwhelming firepower and Agent Reston may just be that.

(I made a few changes to the show to fit the story. In the show, Jace is technically the head of the Atlanta Sentinel Services but I felt that wasn't appropriate for someone that high up operating in the field so I made him a Supervisory Special Agent. Since Sentinel Services doesn't really have a ranking system, I used titles and ranks from the FBI to give the agency more depth. The biggest change however has to be a mutant being a Sentinel Services agent. I realize that wouldn't happen on the show but I'll try my best to at least make it seem feasible.)


	2. Chapter 2

Samantha Reston wasn't surprised by Jace Turner's earlier reaction. Her superior wasn't happy about being assigned to work with a mutant but that was nothing new. If Reston had a nickel every time a co-worker felt uncomfortable around her after finding out she was a mutant, she could retire and purchase her own private island. It was just something you eventually get used to. Sentinel Services was probably the last place anyone would expect a mutant to work for but Reston wasn't your typical mutant.

It technically wasn't illegal for one to work for Sentinel Services but it wasn't exactly encouraged either. There wasn't another mutant in the agency, at least not one that openly admits they're a mutant. Sentinel Services wasn't comfortable with having someone with extraordinary abilities when they were tasked with dealing with such individuals in the first place. However Reston's success in Chicago at least convinced the suits above here paygrade to keep her on the payroll. Her mutant ability was useful against mutant criminals but that wasn't why she joined the agency. It had more to do with Reston's background in law enforcement and her own personal experiences with mutants.

* * *

 **Columbus, Ohio-Three Years Ago**

" _A treadmill?" Officer Samantha Reston nearly burst into laughter in her police cruiser._

" _We both agreed we needed to replace the old one," protested Officer Teddy Woods before he took another bite of his meat loaf sandwich._

" _You bought your wife a treadmill for her birthday?" Reston chuckled. Her partner of four years had a good heart but sometimes he could be lacking in brains when it came to the opposite sex._

" _You're acting like I implied something about her weight. I didn't. All I did was buy something we both agreed we needed to get," Woods grumbled._

" _I guarantee you Debbie didn't see it that way," smirked Reston, enjoying every second of this._

" _She thanked me but gave me that particular look that means 'I screwed up' the rest of the night," sighed Woods._

" _You bought your wife a treadmill," Reston chuckled, unable to stop herself from laughing again._

" _Oh shut up," muttered Woods._

" _Dispatch to all available units. We have a 10-43 at Roosevelt High School. All available units to Roosevelt High. Waiting on additional," the police radio announced. Jesus, a school shooting._

 _The two partners exchanged a concerned look before Woods started the car and Reston grabbed the speaker microphone. "Dispatch this is 4-4. We are on route," she reported._

* * *

"Good morning everyone," Michael Davidson announced. Dozens of Sentinel Services' most senior local agents including Jace Turner and Samantha Reston were crammed into the agency conference room.

"For the past several weeks, the Mutant Underground has gotten bolder in their attacks. The recent attack on a prison convoy and abduction of one of our own only proves they're getting more dangerous," Davidson explained.

Reston noticed everyone else glancing at Jace. From what she heard, the mutants abducted him and used some ability that messed with his mind. They were probably trying to read his mind and access his memories because if they simply wanted to scramble his memory about who took him, shooting him would have been much easier. However Jace's memory of the event was foggy, making figuring out what the mutants wanted impossible.

"Which is why I've brought in a specialist to help us take them down. This is Special Agent Samantha Reston who just transferred in from the Chicago Field Office," Davidson introduced the new agent. "She worked undercover in the Mutant Underground for three years. She knows how they think and how they operate."

Reston didn't need telepathy to know what her new co-workers thought of her. They fought criminal mutants for a living every day and now a mutant was sharing an office space with them. Things were bound to get tense. As soon as Reston arrived, the workplace gossip went into overdrive and now everyone here knew who she was. Still this was nothing new. When she started working for Sentinel Services, Reston learned to just deal with such talk. She didn't get into this job to win a popularity contest.

"Every cell in the Underground operates independently of each other with multiple cut outs required to go through in order for them to communicate with each other. However, from what I saw in Chicago and from what other agents across the country observed is that cells tend to have the same MO. First, they have a base of operations. Somewhere their members can hide out while also hiding mutants they're smuggling out of the area. These places need to be isolated as a lot of mutants who pass through them can't always control their powers. That tends to make a lot of noise which would draw too much attention if it was near the public," explained Reston.

"The Chicago cell operated out of an abandoned paper mill outside the city. This cell will probably be hiding someplace similar. Large enough to hold a dozen or more individuals and away from public scrutiny. Look for large buildings that are either abandoned, foreclosed, or in a kind of legal limbo in terms of ownership. The other thing that they tend to do is stock up on supplies to allow them to bunker down. However, feeding possibly dozens of people three times a day requires a lot of food which is why is you need to check for canned foods," continued Reston.

"I'm sorry. Canned foods?" asked Jace.

"Canned foods can last a long time without expiring, easy to store, and they're cheap. Now while some cells pay for their food with cash, most don't have that kind of money to pay for so many meals so check grocery stores and supermarkets to see if they've encountered carts going missing or increases in shoplifting activity. If mutants find a security lapse they can exploit in such stores, most are so desperate that they will not stop utilizing it even when it runs the risk of getting caught. They could also have sympathizers aiding them. The Chicago cell got food from a homeless shelter so check ones in the local county as well as churches. Though it's possible they might be getting their food from outside the county, it's not likely. That would require multiple trips which means gas money, car maintenance, and a vehicle big enough to carry the shipments. All of which requires money which most of them don't have. They might steal a vehicle for one such job but not repeatedly. That would draw too much attention so if they are getting resources from other counties, they're using one of their own vehicles," answered Reston.

"One of the mutants operated a bar. Maybe that's where they got their food," suggested an agent.

"Unlikely but possible. Assuming it was through, it's been shut down which means they'll need a new source of food," replied Reston.

"Alright people get back to work," Davidson spoke up. "I want these bastards caught yesterday. The Enhanced Patriot Act is in effect so do whatever it takes to find them. Dismissed."

* * *

After the meeting, Reston spent several hours going over paperwork of the various mutants and known sympathizers along with their family and friends regardless of whether they were involved in the underground or not. The Enhanced Patriot Act permitted such overbearing searches but was rarely utilized as most law enforcement departments were too afraid of getting into a legal battle with a civil liberties group. Reston was just glad she wasn't in the Sentinel Services Legal Department.

She was currently shifting through papers that covered social media activity, phone records, credit card records, and so much more. It amazed her how much of one person's life could be kept in physical and digital records. Reston was trying to find links between them that might give her a lead such as where the mutants were getting their food, their money, where they could be hiding, or who could be helping them. Any lead at this point would be welcome with both Turner and Davidson on the warpath.

Mentally exhausted going through so much information, Reston decided it was time for a break and headed to the office lounge to get a cup of coffee. As she exited her office, she started to have a gut feeling. It was the sensation she felt whenever a mutant was near. Someone must have just brought in a suspect for interrogation or booking.

Reston was halfway to her destination, passing by Agent Turner's office.

"You let them escape!" Turner's voice could be heard inside. That stopped Reston in her tracks. Her new boss sounded pissed and she could only think of one reason why. It had to involve the Mutant Underground.

"Road block and checkpoints on every major road and intersection within a twenty five mile radius and somehow you let them slip right by while driving a semi-truck!" shouted Turner.

"We have no idea what the mutants were capable of. We weren't prepared for what happened," protested a male voice.

"You're Sentinel Services! It's your job to be prepared for things like this!" snapped Turner. He was livid, especially considering his recent circumstances. The Mutant Underground kidnapped and tortured him.

"We're canvassing the entire neighborhood and checking every traffic camera…" the male voice spoke.

"If that's going on why are you still here? Go help," demanded Turner.

Upon hearing footsteps, Reston moved hastily down the hallway to avoid getting spotted. The last thing she needed was her superior to catch her spying on his meeting. It sounded like Sentinel Services had located several suspects and attempted to apprehend them without success. What Reston wanted to know was why didn't they inform her of the situation? She could have helped them deal with any mutant threats thrown their way. The answer was obvious, they didn't want her help. It never ceased to infuriate Reston how stupid some of her fellow agents could be. Being a mutant didn't make her the enemy.

Reston turned a corner and came to a sudden halt when she bumped into someone. A plastic cup of coffee dropped to the floor, spilling its contents. Its owner stared at the mess on the floor then glanced up at Reston. He was older, probably late forties with short brown hair and a beard. His suit was professional but didn't look like an agent. Please don't be brass from DC.

"I am so sorry," gasped Reston.

Strangely enough, he smiled. "Are you Agent Samantha Reston?" he asked.

"Uh…yes," nodded Reston.

"My name is Doctor Frederick Campbell. I've been looking forward to meeting you," the man said, holding out his hand. Reston then noticed Campbell had someone else with him. The escort also wore an expensive suit but his skin was unnaturally pale and he had an empty stare in his eyes as if there was no soul. He gave Reston the creeps.

Still Reston didn't let that distract her as she shook Campbell's hand.


	3. Chapter 3

"I have read all about you Agent Reston," Campbell said as he took a seat opposite of her at a table in the office lounge. Campbell's aide or bodyguard, Reston still wasn't sure which, stood off to the side silently watching. Whatever he was supposed to be, Reston knew he was a mutant. She could feel a change in her body, the kind only a mutant was close enough could accomplish.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage doctor," Reston replied. The doctor insisted they talk and she only agreed to do so because she felt guilty about spilling his coffee.

"Well I work for Trask Industries. We're a contractor that provides numerous products to the Department of Defense as well as Sentinel Services. For example, the automated assault drones," Campbell stated.

"The Sentinels," nodded Reston, knowing what he was talking about.

"I always found it amusing that they're called that don't you Agent Reston? The machines, this agency, all use the name Sentinel. The name means soldier or guard who keeps watch. You and your fellow agents are the only thing protecting us from mutants. But for you that's a little more complicated. You're the only mutant in the entire agency," remarked Campbell.

"It's not a complication doctor. I am a federal agent and groups like the Mutant Underground and the Mutant Liberation Front are terrorists. Criminals that think they are above the law. The fact that I'm a mutant and they are too means nothing to me," Reston said. This wasn't the first time she's had to explain such a thing to people. They always seemed stunned that a mutant wanted to stop mutants.

"There are some who say the law isn't fair to mutants," Campbell pointed out. It seemed like he was testing her. You don't work at a place like Trask Industries and get to be a bleeding heart regarding mutant rights.

"They should tell that to the mass graves they had to build to the 7/15 victims," retorted Reston.

"Of course dangerous mutants exist but things like registration and enhanced mutant sentencing? Is that really the answer?" inquired Campbell.

"So you've taken the ACLU's side which is we do nothing at all. That law enforcement was capable of handling any criminal with mutant powers within the confines of the law?" answered Reston.

She continued, "The problem was the public believed that was true until things like 7/15, Roosevelt High, The Oakland Massacre, The Boston Siege, I could sit here all day and mention some incident where one or more mutants killed countless people and the police were helpless to stop them. People complain about police militarization yet they wanted police officers to risk their lives without the means of fighting mutants. It wasn't until they had military hardware such are your company's drones that finally allowed them to start fighting back. Registration allows mutant suspects to be identified quicker and enhanced sentencing deters mutants from committing crimes. The only way law enforcement works if it can bring overwhelming force on criminals and I'm not just talking about using Sentinels. Legislation and policies such as RICO and WITSEC crippled the Mafia. Sometimes, however, it takes extreme measures. Pablo Escobar's Medellin Cartel couldn't be touched by the local police so the Columbian government created a task force called Search Blocs whose sole purpose was to capture or kill Escobar and his lieutenants by any means necessary. And it ended with Escobar dead and the Medellin Cartel a memory. I apologize if I'm rambling on but the whole point is that I care a lot more about people walking down the street without being afraid then the opinion of some bleeding heart activist lawyer who's probably never had to face down someone holding a gun at him let alone a hostile mutant."

"I wish more mutants shared your convictions," replied Campbell. "Is it because of what happened at Roosevelt High? I read that you were actually there."

* * *

 _ **Roosevelt High School-Columbus, Ohio-Three Years Ago**_

 _Students came rushing out screaming as Reston and Woods approached the south entrance of the school. Their weapons were drawn and they knew they weren't the first on scene but the officers who went inside went silent. There were sporadic reports of one gunman to multiple shooters. They had no idea what the suspect or suspects looked like, what weapons they were armed with, or location within the school. All they knew was that somebody needed to get inside and end this._

" _Show me your hands!" Woods yelled. Since they had no description of the shooter, they had to assume that he or she could be anyone. Everyone running out the door slowed down and raised their hands, showing they were no threat._

" _Where's the shooter?" Reston asked._

" _He…he…he…," stuttered a terrified female student._

" _We heard gunshots from the cafeteria," said a male student._

" _Go get clear," ordered Woods._

 _The students quickly rushed past them as Reston and her partner entered the building._

" _Dispatch this is 4-4, we have entered the south entrance. Multiple students exiting the building. The south entrance is clear," reported Reston. They entered a hallway completely empty. No sign of anyone or anything. What was more unnerving was that the only thing Reston could hear was the sound of her elevated breathing._

" _Copy 4-4, find the suspect," replied Dispatch._

" _Any word from 4-6?" requested Reston. Officers Andrew White and David Boone were the first on scene and went into the building. After that they went silent and haven't responded to any call. Reston was hoping it was technical issues and not a grimmer explanation._

" _Negative, they've gone silent," answered Dispatch._

" _Cafeteria's this way," Woods whispered. He took the lead with Reston right behind him. Everything seemed so fast even though they were moving cautiously. Reston was terrified the shooter might suddenly rush out a door and start firing at them. Another fear was that a student would rush out in front of them and Reston could open fire without meaning it. She trained for a scenario like this back at the academy but this wasn't simulation. This was the real thing._

 _The radio was buzzing with chatter as different units called in their locations with dispatch directing them to the school. Some were ordered to approach different entrances to secure the scene and then start sweeping through the school to find the suspect. Tactical was on route but was going to take time._

" _Do you smell that?" asked Woods. It smelled like smoke. Did the shooter set the building on fire or did a bomb go off before they got here?_

 _Woods and Reston turned a corner and both nearly gagged at the sight. Two bodies lay on the floor, the corpses burnt almost beyond recognition. Reston was able to identify them. It was White and Boone. Surrounding the bodies and walls were scorch marks but not the kind you get from a fire or bomb. The marks were in lines, narrow and focused. It was as if someone fired an energy beam. That could only mean one thing._

" _10-3, officers down. I need paramedics on site. We have a possible 6-1-6. I repeat we have a possible 6-1-6," reported a horrified Reston. 616 was the code term for mutant._

* * *

"Look Doctor Campbell it was nice meeting you but I really need to get back to work," Reston said. She was trying to be as civil as possible with getting out of here. Roosevelt High was something she didn't like talking about, not even to her own family. She stood up, ready to leave.

"Wait," pleaded Campbell, getting to his feet. "I apologize if I offended you. That wasn't my intention."

Reston turned her attention to Campbell's aide. "That man is a Hound isn't he?" she inquired.

"What makes you say that?" asked Campbell.

"Because the moment I got close enough to him, I suddenly found myself aware of virtually every cell in your body and his. Not only that, I know I can alter them in any way I wanted," explained Reston.

Campbell seemed genuinely impressed. "Do you just automatically know how to utilize powers the moment you acquire them?" he asked.

"The extent of my control is the same as the person I'm copying. If they're really good at what they do then so am I," answered Reston.

"Incredible. As to your question, my colleague here was actually the first. A member of the MLF as a matter of fact so you shouldn't waste any sympathy on him. If anything I've made him an actually contributing member of society," Campbell stated. The Mutant Liberation Front started as a copycat of the Brotherhood of Mutants until the later vanished during the 7/15 incident. After that, the MLF stepped in to fill in the void.

"Did you have to make him look like an extra from a George Romero movie?" Reston inquired.

"The process does have some unfortunate side effects but the results speak for themselves. It's a waste to just throw away such unique talents into a cell where he'd be a burden on the taxpayers, probably plotting his own escape so he could murder more humans," remarked Campbell.

A part of Reston didn't feel sympathy for a terrorist but whatever process happened to make him this way couldn't have been pleasant. She knew about the Hounds program and what they did but reading about in a file was completely different from seeing the results up close. Regardless of whatever he did, Reston found herself unnerved by the sight of Campbell's assistant. What did they do to him? Maybe it was better not thinking about it.

"Well I'm sure you have a lot of work to do so I won't take up more of your time Agent Reston. I'm looking forward to working with you," smiled Campbell. Reston watched the doctor leave with his assistant following closely behind. What did he mean by working with her? Trask Industries was a subcontractor that sold Sentinel Services equipment as well as loaned out Hounds but they weren't directly working with the agency.

* * *

The next day, Agent Turner called a meeting of the various field agents. Reston already knew he wasn't happy from hearing his outburst yesterday and judging from his face, Jace was still angry. He was keeping his calm but the subtle hints on his face said otherwise.

"All right everybody listen up," Jace spoke. "We believe the mutants from the roadblock were part of the same cell that broke into the federal building in Baton Rouge. They stole vital classified information…"

Agent Turner suddenly stopped, noticing somebody entering the room. Reston turned to see it was Campbell and his creepy Hound assistant. What the hell were they doing here?

"…and we are going to hunt them down," Jace continued. "I want surveillance on all cell phones within a fifty mile radius of the roadblock site. Monitor target names, keywords, repeated phrases, anything that sounds like coded communication."

"What numbers?" an agent called out.

"What'd you say?" frowned Jace.

"I said what numbers?" answered the agent, not understating what the problem was.

"All of them," Jace said, irritated.

Reston and the rest of the room stared at him in disbelief. They were already monitoring all known associates of the Mutant Underground without any warrant and that was technically legal under the Enhanced Patriot Act. The law was still a legal nightmare and subject to numerous lawsuits and court orders. The Supreme Court had yet to address the issue which left its legitimacy still in question. What the law didn't give, however, was the right to monitor every cell phone in an entire county and everyone including Turner knew that.

"But according to…" protested the agent.

"I don't give a damn about a court order, I want it done!" snapped Jace. Everyone in the room went deathly silent. The senior agent took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down though Reston didn't know if he was successful or not.

"Look Davidson wants us to use all mean necessary and that's what we're going to do. Any questions?" Jace sighed. No one dared say a word but Reston noticed there was one person in the room wasn't nervous or stunned. Doctor Campbell was smiling in satisfaction.

"Alright let's get to work," Jace finished. He immediately left the room, either still angry or embarrassed by his outburst. Reston remembered that meeting in Davidson's office where the Chief warned Jace to keep himself together but it looked like that wasn't happening. Still what was Reston going to do about it? Report this to the Chief? The other agents already shunned her for being a mutant and adding snitch to the list wouldn't exactly help either. Also Jace had every right to be angry at the mutants from what they did to him.

The best thing Reston could do right now was to find a lead to the Underground. Hopefully after that, things will calm down.

(Is it me or does Campbell seem so much creepier being nice? I promise there will be finally be some action next chapter.)


	4. Chapter 4

_**Roosevelt High School-Columbus, Ohio-Three Years Ago**_

 _Reston and Woods approached the cafeteria, turning down their radios. They were already blaring with the various dispatches about the school and the last thing they needed was the shooter to hear them coming. Woods took the lead with Reston covering him from behind. The two stopped at each room as they passed by, checking to make sure each room was locked. So far they were which meant most of the teachers had locked their doors, probably barricading them as well. Normally Reston would believe they were safe but with the shooter being a mutant, no one was safe._

 _She's never actually met a mutant before in her life or at least not one that admitted it. Reston didn't consider herself a bigot but at the same time was hoping never to have to meet one. All those crazy stories about the X-Men and the Brotherhood terrified her that one day she'd run into some super mutant who could kill her with a snap of his fingers. It was also a fear that her father probably endured during his twenty plus years in law enforcement though he had never faced a school shooter let alone one that was a mutant._

 _Reston felt a nauseous pit forming in her gut. She's never been in anything like this in all her years on the force and it was only natural she was nervous but the last thing she needed was to vomit during all of this. As they continued, the feeling in her gut only seemed to get worse. Dammit now was not the time to get cold feet._

 _Shouting could be heard up ahead coming from a single male voice. The fact that he was talking this loud during a school shooting meant he was probably the shooter. No one else would be that stupid to draw attention._

" _I was afraid for years of this place and all of you! At first I thought it was because of the insults and the beatings but now I know the real reason. I was afraid because you people fooled me into being that way. Mutants are supposed to be scared of humans and allow themselves into being punched, kicked, and spit on. It was an illusion humans created for us. That we needed to be afraid of them," the voice spoke loudly as if speaking to an audience._

 _Reston clenched her chest, her stomach felt worse the closer they got to the cafeteria. Get a grip officer Reston, this wasn't the first time you've dealt with a suspect with a gun. Granted it ended with the man dropping his gun and getting arrested without anyone getting hurt but still this shouldn't get to her._

" _Hey Sam you alright?" Woods asked, noticing something was wrong with her._

" _I'm fine," Reston replied, waving him off._

 _Woods sighed but didn't say anything else. He was worried about her but right now they had bigger problems. A mutant just murdered two officers and had to be stopped before it kills again._

 _Reston followed her partner as they took cover at the entrance for the cafeteria. Her stomach felt like it was going to vomit as she peered inside._

 _At least twenty students were on their hands and knees with one student standing over them. He was holding a pistol in one hand and a phone in the other. From the way he was holding it, the mutant was recording what was happening. A female student was lying face down nearby with a bloody hole in her head, probably executed. The shooter and the hostages were on the other side of the room. Too far away to risk a firefight and not enough cover to sneak up on him. The moment the officers stepped inside, they'd be spotted._

" _Dispatch suspect is in the cafeteria," whispered Reston into her radio. "He's wearing a black baseball cap and black sweatshirt. He's holding a handgun and has multiple hostages."_

" _Ladies, gentlemen, and all non-binary genders meet Charlie and he's single!" the shooter called out. He grabbed a male student and forced him to his feet. The student was in tears, shaking like a leaf._

" _Charlie enjoys long walks on the beach, puppies, and beating up mutants. Isn't that right Charlie?" the shooter laughed._

" _Please," cried a sobbing Charlie._

" _Please?!" the shooter snapped. Hearing that word must have triggered something inside of him._

 _The shooter placed his gun directly into Charlie's neck, eliciting more tears from all the hostages. "That's the word I used to say to all of you when you would hit me, kick me, and spit on me. All the while laughing every time I said that word," the shooter hissed._

" _I'm sorry," pleaded Charlie._

" _I'm not," the shooter replied. A loud gunshot rang out in the room and Reston jumped, almost losing her breath. To her relief, the shooter had fired into the wall and didn't hit anybody. He was just wanted to scare everyone. Charlie winced and knelt down in tears._

" _I'm not sorry for what happened to me because it opened my eyes. Why was the superior species of this bowing their heads to cockroaches like this? It's simple. Because that's what humans wanted us to think. They wanted mutants to feel like they needed to be accepted and not rock the boat because the lesser species knew the truth. That mutants are better than them and their laws, their norms, and their societies didn't apply to their betters," explained the shooter._

" _We need to get closer. Let's find another entrance," Woods whispered. Reston nodded and her partner led the way._

* * *

"Jace incoming," Edward Weeks whispered as he quickly stepped inside Agent Jace Turner's office. Jace knew what that meant. The only time Ed every told him that was when Michael Davidson was coming and wasn't in a good mood. Nothing he could do though except sit in his chair and wait for the coming buzz saw.

Sure enough, the Division Chief stepped inside Jace's office and shut the door behind him.

"I just got a visit from a woman in the DOJ," said Davidson and he was clearly not in a good mood. Weeks kept his mouth shut as if trying to making himself invisible.

"What did she want?" asked Jace.

"What else? To make my life miserable," grumbled Davidson. "Specifically it was the use of mutant assets of Trask Industries in the field."

"Look I had some misgivings about it myself sir but we're outgunned. Doctor Campbell has given us a means of fighting back against the mutants. We need to use it," explained Jace.

"Do you know how hard it was just to convince the brass in Washington to give the green light to use that one mutant from the convoy? The one who could disable other mutant's powers?" frowned Davidson. "Now you want to use even more?"

"Just in limited operations," answered Jace. "Undercover work and assisting assault teams."

"The DOJ couldn't care less what you consider limited. They want the Hound program closed immediately as well as the mass surveillance," Davidson said.

"They can't do that!" snapped Jace before quickly calming himself down. Yelling at his co-workers was bad enough but yelling at his boss was even worse. "I'm sorry sir," he added.

Davidson glared at him, making Jace uncomfortable. "I respectfully declined her request and informed her that if she wants to shut us down then we'll fight her tooth and nail. This program of yours better be worth the migraine it's giving me," the Chief spoke.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Jace inquired. He was lucky to have a boss was willing to his little outrage moment slide.

"Yeah find those non-human bastards," Davidson spoke.

A knock on the office door interrupted Jace from saying anything else. It opened to reveal Agent Reston who was taken aback from the sight of the Chief. The last thing she probably wanted to do was walk in on her two superiors uninvited.

"Uhh…is this a bad time?" she asked.

"Not at all. I was just leaving," Davidson answered. He headed to the door and walked past Reston as the junior squeezed inside. Jace noticed she was carrying a folder as she shut the office door once her boss left.

"Agent Turner I believe I may have a lead," Reston said.

That caught Jace's interest and Week's as well. "Go on," Jace said.

Reston approached the supervisory agent's desk and handed him the folder. "Remember what I said about canned foods?" she asked.

"Yes," replied Jace. He mostly remembered dumping her in an office to go over paperwork to get her out of sight. He understood Agent Reston was a valuable asset but that didn't mean that Jace wanted to be working with a mutant. The only time he was actually considering using her was when they had a mutant safe house to hit.

"A supermarket chain has been reporting a series of disappearances in their inventory. The items would always vanish while being transported via eighteen wheelers specifically across the state. At first they thought it was the drivers so they replaced them but things kept going missing. So they secured their products inside special bolted down containers that the drivers didn't have the keys to. They still went missing so they added GPS to their trucks to track their routes. I asked the company to send over their tracking data and noticed each truck that was hit all went through the same location," explained Reston.

"Athens," said Jace as he read through the folder.

"I'll be damned," said Weeks as he read over Jace's shoulder. It wasn't an exact location for the mutants but they just narrowed it down and that was a good start.

"I'm been compiling a list of possible locations the underground might be using. It's quite extensive but I have a way of narrowing it down," continued Reston.

"And that would be?" inquired Jace.

"Send me. I can sense any mutants so I pay a visit to each potential location. There's no registered mutant living in the city so any one I find has got to be part of the underground," answered Reston.

It wasn't actually a bad idea. While the mutants in Athens probably weren't the same as the ones who ruined Jace's life over the past few weeks, they were close enough that they probably knew the Atlanta mutants and where they hiding.

"Alright," agreed Jace, handing the folder back to Reston. "Go and scout as many locations as you want but if you find them, do not engage. Call for backup and keep your distance. Keep an eye out in case any mutants try to escape."

"Yes sir," acknowledged Reston.

"Ed go with her," Jace told his longtime partner.

"Wait…what?" gasped Weeks, completely caught off guard and clearly not happy getting assigned working with the mutant.

"Agent Reston could you excuse us for a moment?" Jace asked.

The mutant nodded and headed out of the office. The moment she closed the door, Weeks unloaded. "Jace what the hell?" he snapped.

"She's going to need backup on this," Jace said.

"Then send one of the rookies to handle that," sighed Weeks.

"I need someone I can trust to keep an eye on her," Jace explained. Truth was he didn't completely trust this Agent Reston regardless of her past exploits. However just because he didn't trust her, didn't mean he couldn't use her. Jace just needed to make sure Reston wasn't plotting something with the mutants.

"We don't need her. Just send the drones to scout these locations," urged Weeks.

"Our drones can't enter a locked building and the mutants will hide the moment they see it. From what I've been told our new recruit has mutant radar or something, they can't hide from that," Jace said, starting to lose his patience.

"But…" pleaded Weeks.

Jace rose to his feet. "This isn't a request, this is a direct order," he snapped. Ed was silent but his face spoke volumes.

Jace cursed himself for losing his temper again and took it out on his own friend. He felt like his whole world was falling apart after finding out Grace had died years ago and he couldn't remember it. This was something he probably already dealt with and learned to live with but that mutant bitch who messed up his memories now made him re-life his whole grief once again. He was going to make her pay and the other mutants but he knew he shouldn't take it out on the people closest to him.

"Look Ed just do this for me. I don't like having her around here either but if she helps us find the Underground then I'm willing to deal with it. All I'm asking is for you to do the same," pleaded Jace.

"Alright," Ed sighed, not happy about this but going along with it.

* * *

When John Proudstar took up the mantle of setting up the Mutant Underground in Atlanta, he knew he was going to have to play babysitter. It wasn't just juvenile mutants he would have to worry about acting up but also adults as well. Mutants on the run were usually frightened, angry, and desperate which meant emotions would often run very high in any safe house. Usually separating two mutants going at it was enough to settle the problem but John's current problem wouldn't be that easily solved.

Lorna Dale and Marcos Diaz were going through a rough patch in their relationship. They weren't speaking to each other and couldn't stay in the same room together. Normally John would be just keep the two apart but unfortunately, they were his two top people in the Underground. Without them working together, John wasn't confident the Atlanta Underground will be able to survive with the Sentinel Services cracking down. He tried to get the two of them to explain what was going on but neither wanted to talk about it. He was going to need to deal with this later but right now he had bigger problems.

The Atlanta Underground was running low on food and there was only underground station in the state that was able to share supplies. That normally would be a good thing but unfortunately it was the Athens Station which was run by a mutant named Martin Gilroy. John and Martin had butted head many times before but especially over the latter's solution to every problem which was to steal everything. Martin had the ability to create distortion fields that allowed himself and others to pass through physical matter such as the locked containers on the back of a semi-truck. John understood sometimes you had to do tough things in order to keep your people alive but Martin just preferred rip off humans rather than get a job. Still they needed the food so John would play nice.

Marcos and Lorna were both supposed to join John on the trip to Athens but the two started butting heads the night before. Both of them refused to talk about and they refused to work together so John told Lorna she was coming. She had a lot of rage built up from her problems with Marcos and from being imprisoned for weeks by the Sentinel Services. John figured getting her out of the Atlanta Station for a while might do her some good after being cooped up there for so long.

"You finally going to tell me what's going on with you and Marcos?" John asked as he pulled into the Athens Station. It was an abandoned factory on the edge of town. No one was interested in purchasing the property which made it the perfect place to hide a group of mutants.

"Nope," replied Lorna bluntly.

"Alright but if this turns into a problem…" John said.

"It won't," Lorna interrupted him.

John sighed as he parked his SUV. Lorna was bi-polar which meant her emotions could all over the place. Sometimes she was the light of the party and others she was a bottomless pit of misery. Sometimes she was detached and didn't care about anything and other times she cared too much. While her emotions could flare up, they rarely caused any problems. If Lorna was dealing with an episode, she usually suffered it alone or with Marcos. John had a suspicion things had changed now that Lorna was pregnant.

The two didn't need to go far before two people emerged from one of the broken down buildings that made up the site. Martin and another mutant named Sofia Mantega. Unlike the former, John got along fine with Sofia. A Venezuelan immigrant to the US who later joined the underground after her mutant abilities shunned her from becoming a pilot. It was a sad story that was all too common among other mutants.

"Hello John, Lorna," Martin greeted the arrivals.

"Martin, Sofia" nodded Lorna.

"Heard you got busted by the SS. Glad you got away," Sofia said.

"Thanks. It was touch and go for a while but fortunately I've got good friends," Lorna replied.

"Of course it probably would have been easier for your friends to rescue you if John here called us to help," Martin spoke. Sofia gave him a death glare for the remark.

Martin of all people knew that they couldn't have asked another cell for help on a mission that dangerous. The Underground had a set of rules that kept it from collapsing and one of the most important was to never to comprise other cells. Had they failed to rescue Lorna and ended up dying in the process, someone needed to take over in Georgia to keep the flow of mutant refugees going. That's why John didn't call them so that Martin and Sofia could take up the mantle of keeping everything going should the worst happen.

"Unlike you, I actually follow the rules Martin," growled John.

"Rules? There are no rules in what we do John. There's only those who survive, those who end up dead, and those who get locked up who probably wished they were dead," replied Martin.

"And if things had gone south, who'd keep the Underground going? Did you ever consider that?!" demanded John.

"Can save this little presidential debate for later?" sighed Lorna.

"Motioned seconded and carried. C'mon let's go children," said Sofia.

John and Martin glared at each other for a moment but eventually Martin motioned for them to follow to the large building behind them. It had numerous KEEP OUT signs but since when has a sign like that really work? Thirteen people were waiting inside. They were all mutants on the run and while this place was a safe house for them, it wasn't very comfortable. They only had sleeping bags to use for beds and had some coolers that held water bottles to drink with some empty barrels to use as fireplaces at night for warmth. Unlike the Atlanta Underground HQ, this place wasn't meant to house anyone for long periods of time but rather a pit stop before continuing on to another safe house.

"The shipment's over here," Martin said, leading everyone to a stack of boxes that contained various cans of food. Since they didn't have any freezers or refrigerators on site, the Athens Station always had to go after canned foods. Sometimes that meant eating macaroni and cheese three days in a row but it wasn't like they had much choice. They barely had enough money to pay for gas.

"The trucking companies must be starting to get suspicious because they're reducing the shipment sizes and spreading them out among more trucks," Sofia explained.

"Then maybe it's time to find another way," John stated.

"And how do we do that fearless leader?" scoffed Martin. "It's not like we can just go down to the local McDonalds and buy a Big Mac. We don't have enough money to keep the people fed who pass through here."

"Martin you're pushing you're luck. One of these days, they are going catch on to what you're doing," argued John.

"Tell Khaleesi in her ivory tower to donate a couple grand to us each month and I'll gladly buy everything legally. Til then, you'll take my food and you'll thank me for my methods," Martin scoffed, intentionally mocking the leader of the underground Evangeline Whedon.

John was about to get into Martin's face but Lorna stopped him. "John let's just get the food and go," she whispered.

"Just once could you not be an asshole?" Sofia scolded Martin.

"It's my character flaw," shrugged Martin.

Sofia rolled her eyes. "Just shut your mouth and grab a box," she said.

"You're the boss Windy," Martin quipped.

* * *

The car ride had grown more and more uncomfortable. For the past few hours, Samantha Reston had been traveling all over the city of Athens with Agent Ed Weeks and he clearly did not want any part of this little road trip. He barely said a single word to her and seemed to get more annoyed every time they finished searching an abandoned building only to find nothing.

"Ok the next location is an abandoned factory on Boley Drive," Reston said, glancing at the map she printed out back at the office. It had numerous red dots with addresses of possible Mutant Underground safe houses. The ones they had already visited were crossed off.

"Whatever you say," sighed an annoyed Weeks who was driving the car.

"Look I get you don't want to be here but could you stop complaining?" grumbled Reston, getting annoyed by her companion.

"I'm not complaining," protested Weeks.

"Oh really? All you've done is grunt and groan the whole time," scoffed Reston.

"Because I have better things to do then play chaperone," shot back Weeks.

"If you've got any other leads we can pursue then let's hear it," challenged Reston. Weeks didn't answer, which told her everything she needed to hear.

* * *

John set the last box in the trunk of his SUV before closing it. They got enough food to last them about a week which was more then what they had before. John would worry about where they'd get any more food later. Right now he needed to do something far worse and that was to thank Phase for his help. That asshole certainly didn't make it easy to like him though and John right now would rather face a hail of bullets then give the man gratitude.

"Thanks Martin. We appreciate it," John said, holding out his hand. Lorna and Sofia watched silently, waiting to see what would happen.

Martin eyed him then shook John's hand. "You're part of the Underground John and we take care of our own," he said.

John was genuinely surprised. Normally Phase loved nothing more than to throw in some one liner to piss everyone off.

"Even if you do have a stick up your ass," Martin quipped then headed back inside. Now that sounded more like him. John should have been pissed over the comment but he just found himself smiling instead.

Sofia sighed, "Sorry about that. He might be a gigantic asshole but at the end of the day, he really cares about keeping these people safe."

"We know. Thanks again for the food," Lorna said, shaking hands with Sofia.

"Anytime. Just be careful. The SS has been cracking down all over the state. I've never seen it this bad," replied Sofia.

"We will," nodded Lorna.

" _Sofia. We've got a problem!"_ a voice shouted through a walkie attached to Sofia's hip belt.

The mutant pulled the walkie to her mouth and asked, "What is it Gary?"

" _Someone's coming up the driveway,"_ Gary answered.

"Are you expecting anyone else?" asked John.

"No," said a nervous Sofia.

John instantly knew this had to be bad. No one came up here except members of the Underground. If it was Sentinel Services or the police then they would be in real trouble. The driveway was the only way in or out of here which meant they couldn't just avoid them.

"Lorna close the gate and lock it. Sofia grab your keys. We need to hide our cars behind the building," John said urgently.

* * *

"Why would anybody put their factory so far from the road?" grumbled Weeks as he parked the car in front of the abandoned factory. It was rundown but not as bad you'd might expect. Surprisingly, there were no broken windows or graffiti.

"Maybe they like the woods," remarked Reston as she got out of the car. The building was surrounded by a steel fence with barb wire on top with the only entrance was chain locked. You'd need bolt cutters to break inside.

"Anything?" Weeks asked in a bored tone. He just wanted to get in and out as soon as possible.

"I can't tell. I need to get closer," answered Reston. She approached the fence and walked along it, looking for any holes.

* * *

"I recognize one of their voices. A Sentinel Services agent," said John. After stashing his vehicle around back, he rejoined with Lorna, Sofia, Martin, and the others in the warehouse. Most of the others were starting to panic and everyone was getting ready to rush out the back door should John heard the agents enter the building.

"Dammit. How'd they find us?" cursed Sofia.

"There's no way they tracked us here," argued Martin.

"I don't think they even know anyone's here. If they did, they would have sent more than two of them," stated John.

"Do we take them down?" asked Lorna.

"If they don't report back, Sentinel Services will know something is wrong and send people to look for them. If they followed protocol, they already radioed their position in before coming on site," argued Sofia.

"Let's just wait. Let them look around a little and hopefully they leave. If they don't, we'll subdue them then evacuate," said John.

* * *

"Just how close do you need to get?" asked an annoyed Weeks.

"Oh now you want to talk," scoffed Reston. She approached a section of the fence that had loosed mesh around a post. She grabbed it and tugged at it, creating an opening.

"You know technically we don't have a warrant to be in there," Weeks called out.

"Well considering no one owns the place, I don't think anyone will care," replied Reston as she squeezed through. She turned around to see Weeks sigh in frustration then follow her through.

* * *

"They're heading right towards us. The second they step inside, we're blown," John said, using his enhanced senses to keep track of the new arrivals' movements.

"Dammit then we're pulling the plug. Everyone grab anything you can, we're evacuating," Martin called out. Most of the mutants began rushing around, grabbing anything of value while a few others headed out the back door to start their vehicles. Losing a safe house was never easy but everyone in the Underground were prepared to abandoned theirs on a moment's notice.

"I'll take care of our new friends," Lorna smiled, heading towards the front door.

* * *

The agents were almost to the front entrance when the sensation hit Sam Reston like a wave, stopping her in her tracks. The feeling of nausea swirling within her stomach that indicated a mutant was nearby. She was always able to tell whenever there were multiple mutants judging from how bad she felt and right now it felt like she was going to puke.

"What is it?" asked Weeks.

"They're here," said Reston. "Multiple mutants."

"Then we're heading back to the car," Week said, remembering their orders not to engage. The two turned around and headed back to the car with the older agent pulling out his cell phone.

"Damn service," Weeks grumbled, clearly not getting any reception on his phone.

"Leaving so soon?" a female voice called out.

The agents turned around to see a green-haired woman exiting the warehouse. Reston instantly recognized her as Lorna Dane also known as Polaris. She was a high ranking member of the Underground who had been arrested weeks ago but escaped custody while being transported to another holding facility. She could create and control magnetic fields to manipulate metal, making her extremely dangerous. Probably the most dangerous individual ever seen in the Underground.

Reston and Weeks quickly drew their weapons but their guns were suddenly yanked out of their hands. Reston's pistol flew right into Lorna's hands while Week's weapons landed at her feet.

"Well you're definitely not Jehovah Witnesses," chuckled Lorna. She aimed her new gun as the agents, forcing them to raise their hands.

"I just zapped your phones so don't bother trying to use them. Now this is America so you've got choices. I can either shoot both of you right here or we take a little walk to your car and you two can spend some quality time together in the trunk until Sentinels Services shows up looking for you," smiled Lorna.

"When I tell you to, tackle her and restrain her," whispered Reston.

"What?" Weeks whispered back.

"You'll know when," Reston added.

"C'mon you two. This isn't like picking which college you're sending your kids. It's either live or die," Lorna said.

The two agents started walking forward, their hands still raised. Lorna was completely relaxed and confident. She didn't view the agents as any threat whatsoever and that would be her downfall.

A few steps later and Reston instantly felt a change in her body. Suddenly she could feel the magnetic fields that Lorna had created and what's more, she understood how to manipulate them herself. It was strange how Reston knew how to utilize a mutant ability the moment her body could copy it from any nearby mutant but it was something she never really questioned. She was just glad she could.

With a sudden motion of her hand, Reston sent the pistol in Lorna's hand flying away. A stunned Polaris was caught completely off guard by what had just happened.

"Now!" shouted Reston.

Weeks charged at Lorna with the mutant throwing up her hands, conjuring a magnetic field that ripped a small section of nearby chain link fence right of its posts and flew at the approaching agent. Reston manipulated the field and caused the fencing to stop it in mid-air. Lorna was confused but that didn't stop her from trying something else. She conjured another field that levitated several nearby rusty metal rods lying nearby. Probably going to use those to attack Weeks. Reston manipulated Lorna's own field again, causing the rods to pause in mid-air.

By this time, Weeks had burst into a full run and tackled Lorna like a linebacker. The mutant screamed and fought furiously as the agent forced Lorna onto her stomach, twisted her arms behind her back, and zip tied them with flexicuffs. Polaris needed to movie her hands to make her powers work and now that she wasn't a threat, Reston magnetically summoned her own pistol to her hands.

"I'd read your rights but technically you're still supposed to be in prison," mocked Weeks.

Reston felt the nausea in her stomach get worse which meant more mutants were coming. The nearby wall of the warehouse suddenly began to simmer and, to her surprise, a large dark haired man literally stepped through the wall.

Quickly realized the newcomer was John Proudstar, Reston aimed her pistol at him. "Freeze!" she shouted.

John dashed towards her. Reston opened fire, emptying about five rounds into her approaching attacker. John didn't even seemed fazed by the bullets before he crashed into Reston, knocking her to the ground. Instantly Reston felt her strength increase tenfold as her attacker put her in a choke hold. John's powers must be bulletproof and super strength. Reston elbowed him multiple times in the gut, hitting him with enough force to knock the wind out of him and release her.

A young Hispanic woman emerged from the simmering wall. She thrusted her hands out, causing a sudden burst of intense wind to hit Agent Weeks and sent him flying away from Lorna. He crashed into the nearby chain-link fence, causing it to partially bend from the impact.

Reston could feel a new ability emerging from her body now that the Last Airbender was close enough to her. She thrusted her hands at John, sending a burst of wind that send him flying away from her. Reston then aimed her hands at one of the metal pipes Lorna tried to use earlier and using a magnetic field sent it flying right into the Airbender's knee. The Hispanic mutant screamed in pain as she collapsed to the ground.

Reston cursed as she suddenly felt her legs turned to jelly. Dammit she was using too many powers too quickly. Her body needed time to adapt otherwise it made her sick. She stumbled into the fence, barely able to stand as she grabbed onto it to keep her balance.

John used Reston's momentary to quickly rush over to Lorna and using his strength to rip her restraints apart. Lorna thrusted her hands at the mutant agent who suddenly found herself getting enveloped by the chain-link fence as it ripped itself of its posts and wrapped around her like a boa constrictor.

Reston used a combination of both Lorna's powers and the Airbender's powers to send out a dual burst of wind and magnetic energy that repelled the fence off of her, ripping it apart in the process.

"C'mon let's go!" John shouted as he helped the Airbender to her feet and helped her limp quickly back to the simmering with Lorna right beside them.

Reston saw her pistol lying nearby and summoned it to her hands before aiming firing two rounds at the escaping mutants. One shot missed but another hit Lorna in the back of the shoulder. She screamed and staggered before collapsing through the simmering wall.

Reston got to her feet and charged at the wall only for the distortion effect to suddenly disappear. She ran into the wall hands first, realizing it was solid again.

"Dammit!" she cursed. Her nausea was diminishing, meaning the mutants were getting further away as well as too far away for her to copy their powers.

Agent Weeks was moaning as he slowly got back to his feet.

"C'mon. They're getting away!" shouted Reston.

* * *

"Lorna!" John shouted as he turned to see Polaris drop to the floor as she passed Phase's opening. Martin Gilroy had his hand on the factory wall, creating a distortion field that allowed matter to pass through. It allowed him to steal so many things and allowed John and Sofia to get to Lorna's rescue as she was being restrained by the Sentinel Services. Now that they were all through, he removed his hand causing the field to disperse.

"Martin take Sofia!" John ordered. Martin quickly rushed over to his limping colleague and helped her towards the back as John quickly scoped Lorna up. He didn't know how bad she was and didn't have time to check. He needed to her out of her know. John took off running after Martin and Sofia, carrying Lorna in his arms.

"Can't…move," gasped Lorna who had gone limp, barely able to utter the words.

"It's an immobilization round. You'll be okay," John told her. The Sentinel Services were known to use less then lethal rounds sometimes specifically if they wanted to capture certain mutants alive. Fortunately aside from a few hours of paralysis and a nasty bruise, Lorna should be okay. That was of course if they all get out of here alive.

* * *

Reston tried to keep it together as she ran towards the front gate. She looked over satellite photos of the various potential Underground safe houses before leaving for this little scouting trip and this factory had only one way in and one way out. The only way for the mutants to escape was the driveway leading back to the main road.

Reston cursed as numerous vehicles came flying around the building and crashed through the front gate, knocking them open. She opened fire as the vehicles speed off down the driveway but it was pointless. She tried to use Lorna's magnetic powers to stop the cars but Polaris was too far away for Reston to use her ability.

Weeks limped over to the car and open the driver's door, obviously to go after them. Reston quickly jumped into the passenger seat as her companion tried to start the car. To her annoyance, the engine was completely dead.

"Son of a…that magnetic bitch must have fried the car before she attacked us," hissed Weeks.

"Along with our phones," grumbled Reston. Frustrated, she banged the back of her head against the car seat.

(Took me long enough but I think the fight scene was worth it. It was especially important that Reston has weaknesses and not be an unstoppable force. Hopefully you enjoyed it and please review.)


	5. Chapter 5

**Mutant Underground Headquarters-Atlanta, GA**

"Everybody move!" John spoke up as he carried Lorna's paralyzed body inside. The sudden arrival of the entire Athens Underground was causing a stir and formed a crowd at the entrance. John had to work his way to get through the crowd, carrying Lorna upstairs to her room on the second floor. He glanced down on his way up to notice Sage taking control of the chaos. She also gave John a death glare before leading the newcomers away. Sage wasn't happy about bringing in so many people since they were already overcapacity as it was and now they had even more mouths to feed. Still they couldn't just turn these people away.

"Lorna? What happened to her?!" demanded a concerned Marcos Diaz who rushed up so fast that John almost thought he developed superhuman speed.

"Sentinel Services shot her with an immobilization round," John explained as he carried Lorna in her room.

"And the baby?" Marcos asked, trying his hardest to keep himself calm.

"I don't know Marcos. Just watch her while I go get Caitlin," John replied as he set Lorna gently down on her bed. Polaris was moaning in obvious pain but she wasn't bleeding and her condition didn't seem to be getting any worse.

* * *

 **Columbus, OH-Three Years Ago**

 _Reston moaned, clenching her chest. It felt like her stomach was doing jumping jacks. She needed to get it together. The lives of at least twenty hostages not to mention everyone else in this school depended on it._

" _Sam are you sure you're okay?" Woods whispered as they approached another entrance to the cafeteria._

" _I'm fine," Reston grunted._

" _To my brothers and sisters of the Mutant Liberation Front, I pledge myself and the lives I take today to your cause. Until the day that mutants are truly free there will be no peace. No peace for any human and especially their children," the shooter spoke, trying to make himself sound grandiose._

" _Sounds like he's spouting out his manifesto. Once he's done, I'm guessing he starts shooting," Woods whispered._

" _We've gotta stop him. The second we get a clean shot, we take it," Reston resolved._

" _Hold up. You saw what happened to White and Boone. This freak has some dangerous powers. If we go in guns blazing without figuring out what they are, the only people we're going to kill is ourselves," protested Woods._

" _I'm not just going to sit around and wait for him to start killing those kids," Reston argued._

" _Humanity had a good run and by that I mean they just kept finding excuses to kill each like savages fighting over scrapes of meat. Only now humanity's successor has arrived and they just can't admit that they're time is up. Hate to break this…Who am I kidding…I'm delighted to break this to you!" laughed the shooter. He dragged a female student and forced her to her feet before putting her in a headlock as if they were somehow friends. The poor girl looked like she was about to faint._

" _You're nothing more than a bunch of dinosaurs and dodo birds that haven't figured it that your time is up!" he shouted._

 _Dammit this was bad. The shooter was facing away from the doorway where Reston and Woods were hiding but the girl he was holding was between the cops and the shooter, unintentionally giving him a human shield._

 _The shooter suddenly grabbed his black cap and tossed it aside, revealing something strange on his forehead. Reston couldn't make it out but enough was enough. It was time to end this._

" _I'm going in," whispered Reston._

 _She moved slowly inside, silently enough that the mutant and his hostages didn't notice her entrance. Her stomach felt like it was about to explode but she wouldn't stop now. Just needed to get a little closer and she could take the head shot._

 _Suddenly intense pain erupted from Reston's forehead. She screamed as she collapsed to her knees, clenching her head as she lost her grip on her pistol. Reston could feel the skin ripping itself apart as something was starting to grow on the dome of her skull._

 _The shooter swung around, his gun raised but that wasn't the most terrifying about him. Reston could finally see what was on his forehead and it was a large third eye. He should have shot her right there but something stopped him. The moment he was Reston he became confused._

" _Freeze!" Reston could hear Woods yelling behind her._

 _The shooter's third eye glowed and suddenly shot forth a beam of orange energy. Reston thought it was going to hit her for a microsecond but instead it passed over her. She could feel the intensity of the beam's heat, causing her to instantly sweet just from her close proximity. And just as quickly as it appeared, it disappeared._

 _Reston turned around and to her horror, saw what was left of Woods's body. His entire upper body was completely disintegrated with only his legs and hips still intact. She would have screamed at the death of her partner but instead continued screaming as the pain of whatever was happening to her._

 _The shooter shoved his hostage to the floor and stormed up to Reston, aiming his pistol as her. "What are you?" he demanded._

 _Suddenly Reston's eyesight changed. Just as you were able to focus see better immediately after opening an eye that was closed, suddenly she could better than she ever could with two eyes. She put a hand in front of her forehead and realized she could see it as if she had put it in front of her nose. In that moment that Reston realized, as impossible as it seemed, she had grown a third eye just like the shooter._

* * *

Reston sighed as she watched the various Sentinel Services agents scouring the abandoned factory. Forensics teams were sweeping the building and the outer vicinity of the property for any kind of clues that might be of use. Several response teams decked in body armor and wielding assault rifles were patrolling the area in case any mutants were still hiding in the area as well as safeguard the crime scene.

Since Lorna had disabled their phones and car, Reston and Weeks had to walk to the nearest to the nearest gas station and used a pay phone to contact HQ. By the time they got back, the first of the response teams had arrived. They were waiting to give their statements before heading back to Atlanta.

Reston was livid at herself. She had them. She had the mutants in her grasp and they got away because Reston still couldn't stop herself from getting overwhelmed from using too many powers. Use about three or four powers in a short amount of time and she could barely stay on her feet. It didn't help that she got sick just being around mutants. She's come a long way from when she could barely stand next to one mutant without feeling like she was going to vomit but that didn't make her feel any better at the moment.

An SUV arrived on the scene and the way it just drove right up to factory instead of parking at a distance meant this was someone of importance. It came to a halt and Jace Turner stepped out. He didn't seem angry but also didn't look happy either. Reston was certain she's never seen the man smile once and doubted she see one anytime soon.

The Supervisory Agent approached Reston who was standing with Agent Weeks. Looks like it was time to face the music.

"What happened?" asked Turner.

"We were investigating the area when the underground ambushed us. We fought back but they managed to escape," Reston explained.

"I thought I gave instructions not to engage the mutants but wait for back up," frowned Turner.

"The moment we discovered mutants were inside, we tried to leave but the underground attacked before we could," replied Reston.

Turner turned to Weeks. "Is this true?" he asked.

Reston almost had to bite her tongue not to protest. She was an agent of Sentinel Services, her word should be enough regardless of whether she was mutant or not.

Weeks threw Reston a glance then said, "Yeah. Every word of it."

"Alright head back to the office and give me a report. Did you see any new members of the Underground?" asked Turner.

"Yeah some Hispanic woman. Early to mid-thirties and could control the wind," Reston spoke.

"Scratch my last. The two of you are seeing a sketch artist while your memory of her face is still fresh in your minds. Then you can work on your reports," Turner ordered.

"Yes sir," Reston and Weeks both said.

* * *

Caitlin had examined Lorna and used a pair of tweezers to pull the non-lethal bullet out from Polaris's back. Marcos had held onto his girlfriend's hand as she moaned in pain throughout. The bullet didn't go very deep, making it a very short procedure. After removing the round, Caitlin wiped the wound with alcohol and put a makeshift dressing over it then wrapping it in a gauze bandage.

"I think she'll be okay and the paralysis should start to wear off within the hour," concluded Caitlin.

"And the baby?" asked a concerned Marcos.

"I don't have a stethoscope so you'll have to ask John about that," Caitlin explained.

John gave Marcos a nod and approached Lorna's bedside, using his mutant senses to make sure the baby was okay. He could hear Lorna's heartbeat and breathing, slightly elevated from the stress of the surgery but he could also make out something else.

"I can hear another heartbeat. It's small but isn't in distress. I think your baby's going to be okay," John announced.

Marcos and Lorna both breathed easier, relaxing. Marcos grabbed Lorna's hand and Polaris slowly tightened her fingers around her boyfriend's. Looks like all was well again with these two.

"Thank you," a relieved Marcos told Caitlin. She gave the two eventual parents a smile in appreciation then followed John out of the room to give them some privacy.

"We have another injury. One of our people from Athens was hit pretty badly in the leg," John said.

"Is it broken?" Caitlin asked.

"She can still move it but has trouble putting any support on it," John explained.

"Going from one patient to another. I feel like I'm back at the hospital working Saturday nights," joked Caitlin. John smiled, glad someone was trying to keep his spirits up. However what he faced back at Athens wouldn't let him feel at ease.

After Caitlin checked over Sofia's leg and wrapped it in a makeshift slip, John called a meeting for all the high ups of Underground. By this point, Lorna was able to walk but needed help to get around so John decided everyone should meet in her room. Marcos, Sonya Simonson, Sage, and Martin Gilroy from the Athens Underground assembled around Lorna's bed as John laid out the situation.

"With the Athens underground gone, we're going to need to set up another safe house," John spoke.

"We can't go back to Athens. The city will be crawling with Sentinel Services by now," argued Martin. He'd been far less antagonistic compared to what he usually was over the past several hours. Then again, maybe he didn't want to make things worse than they already were.

"Then we'll set up somewhere else but right now there is a dangerous gap in the Underground East of Atlanta. The next safe house after us in South Carolina," explained John.

"We'll try one of the smaller towns then. Winterville or Watkinsville," suggested Sonya. She had the ability to alter memories and while that that ability had aided the Underground, it sometimes could be a detriment such as when Sonya recently altered Clarice Fong's memories to make her think she was in love with John. Clarice was livid and rightfully so but John managed to convince her to stay.

"Sage can you check around those areas and see if there are any potential vacant buildings we could use?" John requested.

"I'll see what I can do but I strongly recommend we send some of our people to other safe houses. We don't have the supplies to feed and house this many people," said Sage. Unlike other mutants, her powers weren't so obvious. She was incredibly intelligent, able to learn and process information at superhuman speed. She was often the computer expert, hacking into local law enforcement networks and monitoring their activities.

"We can't just send them away," protested Marcos.

"Besides most of the other stations are barely sustaining themselves as well," Lorna agreed.

"We won't be able to sustain ourselves with this many people," replied Sage.

"This isn't our only problem," John said, trying to change topics. "Back at the Athens safe house, one of the Sentinel Service agents was a mutant."

"Like Pulse?" asked Sonya. By Pulse she was referring to a former member of the Underground named Augustus Franklin or Gus as his friends called him. He was a former Marine who served in Afghanistan with John. After 7/15, the two were both kicked out of the service for being mutants and later met up again in the Underground. During a rescue mission, Gus was shot and John left him behind, thinking he was dead. He learned otherwise when during a mission to rescue Lorna and Reed Strucker that he found out Gus was not just alive but also working for Sentinel Services.

There was something wrong with him though. His skin looked incredibly pale and he didn't even seem to recognize John. Another difference was the strange tattoo on his arm though it seemed more like a brand. John had been looking into what happened to his friend and found out Sentinel Services was shipping off certain captured mutants somewhere top secret that involved a company called Trask Industries. He was certain they were getting brainwashed and turned against their own people like Pulse but that didn't seem to be the case with the last mutant they fought.

"I don't think so. Pulse never said a word when I tried to reason with him, like he was in a trance or something. Not to mention he looked pale or sick. Whoever that agent we fought was not only vocal but somewhat combative with the other agent. She also didn't have that tattoo on her," John said.

"She could also do everything we could do," sighed Lorna. "She could use magnetic fields like me, she was strong like John, controlled the wind like Sofia, it was if she could copy our powers."

"As if this day wasn't bad enough now Sentinel Services has the perfect anti-mutant. Someone who can use our abilities against us," sighed Martin.

"Can you describe her?" inquired Sage.

"Mid to late thirties. Caucasian with long blond hair," answered John.

"I'll be right back," Sage said before heading out the door.

It didn't take long before she returned with a sheet of paper. "I heard about a mutant in the Chicago Underground who could copy other mutants' powers. Did she look like this?" Sage asked as she handed it to John.

It was a printed copy of a driver's license. Specifically one that had the picture of the mutant Sentinel Services agent. "That's her," nodded John.

"Her name is Samantha Reston. She was a Columbus police officer who was one of the first responders to the Roosevelt High Massacre. More than fifty students and thirteen police officers died before she was able to kill the mutant responsible but in doing so, revealed that she was a mutant herself. She lost her job for not disclosing that fact. She was off grid for a while until later popping up in Chicago where she joined the Underground," said Sage.

"She was a mole?" asked an incredulous Lorna.

"How could she betray her own people?" Sonya wondered.

"I don't know," sighed John. "You know we always wondered how the Sentinel Services were so thorough in destroying the Chicago network."

"And now we know," remarked Marcos.


End file.
